Oil reclaimer and muffler assembly and system

Abstract

A vacuum system includes a vacuum pump, means to provide a flow of lubricant oil to the vacuum pump, and an oil reclaimer and muffler assembly to remove oil that becomes entrained in the gas stream leaving the pump and to permit such oil to be resupplied to the means providing the flow of lubricant to the pump. The oil reclaimer and muffler assembly includes an outer casing having an inlet for the gas stream from the vacuum pump. Wall means are provided within the outer casing to form a passageway to circulate the gas stream adjacent the inner wall of the casing. Entrained oil and water from the gas pump are collected on the inner walls of the assembly and flow under the influence of gravity to a collection pipe at one end of the assembly. The inner wall means also forms a passageway from adjacent the bottom of the assembly to its top from which the cleaned gas passes. The reclaimed oil and water that are collected within the assembly accumulate in an oil reservoir from which the collected oil can be withdrawn for use in lubricating the vacuum pump.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a vacuum system including a vacuum pump having lubricating oil and water vapor entrained in its outlet gas stream and means to deliver a flow of lubricating oil to the vacuum pump, the improvement comprising a vertically disposed oil reclaimer and muffler assembly for the gas stream leaving the vacuum pump, said assembly including a cylindrical casing having an inlet for the gas stream connected with the outlet of the vacuum pump, inner wall means to circulate the gas stream adjacent the inner surface of the casing and to provide for collection of oil and condensed water vapor within the assembly comprising an inner cylinder coaxially mounted within the casing with spiral wall means and an annular ring located thereon between said casing and said inner cylinder and forming a spiral passageway leading from the inlet to a chamber below the inner wall means, said inlet entering the casing tangent to its inner surface to direct the gas stream from the vacuum pump into the spiral passageway, said inner cylinder forming at its interior an internal passageway for the gas stream leading from the chamber to an exhaust opening at the top of said assembly, said casing and inner wall means permitting flow of collected oil and water down the inner surface under the influence of gravity to a collection pipe and thereby to an oil reservoir enclosing said collection pipe, said casing at its bottom being formed by a bell-shaped closure with the collection pipe at its lowest point, said oil reservoir being a cylindrical housing with the collection pipe for oil and water leading to adjacent its lowest point and having a separate transparent water collection pipe attached at its bottom, said oil reservoir being provided with a fitting located above the bottom of the oil reservoir for reclaimed oil that is connected with said means to deliver a flow of lubricating oil to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
       2. In a vacuum system including a vacuum pump and means to deliver a flow of lubricating oil to the vacuum pump, and having lubricating oil and water vapor entrained in a gas stream leaving the vacuum pump, the improvement comprising an oil reclaimer and muffler assembly having an inlet connected with the gas stream leaving the vacuum pump and having upper and lower portions, said assembly including a cylindrical casing having the inlet for the gas stream from the vacuum pump, an inner cylinder coaxially mounted within the casing, spiral passage-forming means mounted on the inner cylinder leading from the inlet to a chamber below the inner cylinder, said inlet directing the gas stream from the vacuum pump into the spiral passageway and tangent to the inner surface of the cylindrical casing and circulating the gas stream adjacent the inner surface of the casing to provide for collection of oil and condensed water within the assembly, said inner cylinder forming at its interior a passageway for the gas stream leading from the chamber below the inner cylinder to an exhaust outlet opening at the upper portion of the assembly, said casing and spiral passage-forming means permitting the flow of collected oil and water under the influence of gravity down the casing to its lower portion, said lower portion of the casing being formed by a bell-shaped closure with a collection pipe at its lowest point, a cylindsrical oil reservoir housing the oil collection pipe with the collection pipe leading to adjacent the lowest point of the oil reservoir, a separate transparent water-collection pipe attached at the bottom of the oil reservoir, and a fitting provided on the oil reservoir for reclaimed oil that is connected with said means to deliver a flow of lubricating oil to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
       3. An oil reclaimer and muffler assembly comprising an outer cylindrical casing having an inlet and closures at each end, one of said closures defining a top of the assembly and an exhaust opening, and the other closure having a funnel shape and defining an oil-collection opening at its lowest point and carrying in communication with the oil-collection opening, a collection pipe, a plurality of vanes surrounding the collection opening and collection pipe, and an oil reservoir encompassing the collection pipe, an inner cylindrical wall means carried within the outer cylindrical casing adjacent the closure forming the exhaust opening and carrying a spiral passage-forming means extending from the inner cylindrical wall means toward the inner surface of the outer cylindrical casing, said inner cylindrical wall means being of lesser length than said outer cylindrical casing, and being open at its lower end to form a cylindrical passgeway within the inner cylindrical wall means leading from a chamber formed at the bottom of the outer cylindrical casing to the exhaust opening, said inner cylindrical wall means carrying an annular plate below the spiral passage-forming means and adjacent the chamber, said annular plate having a width insufficient to extend to the outer cylindrical casing to provide a narrow annular passage for a gas stream and for collected oil and water adjacent the inner surface of the outer cylindrical casing whereby oil and water collected within the assembly is permitted to flow under the influence of gravity to the oil-collection opening for collection in the oil reservoir, said oil reservoir having a fitting located above its lower surface for withdrawal of the oil collected therein.